Chapter 6: Heartbreak and Unexpected Alerts

Half month later, Auwalu talk say he get babe now.

And na Morayo bestie and roommate.

We grill am for gist.

Omo, na so all of us gather him like police. Everybody wan know how he take run am, because Auwalu na last person wey dey get babe for our room before.

"Oya, run am."

"You be first for our dorm to get babe, I no gree."

Auwalu scratch head. "We don know each other before, but no too talk. She dey always with Morayo. But my babe say Morayo get crush these days."

"Ehn?"

Three of us shout like rat.

Na so everybody surprise. All eyes con dey shine.

Auwalu continue, "She say Morayo dey chat with that guy every day now, even save him as 'my good pikin.' Musa no fit drag her go play badminton again, so me and her start play together, na so we take close, you know the rest."

We dey shake head, dey wonder how this kind gist pass us.

My other two roommates just dey look me with pity. "No worry, guy, you fine well. If Morayo no send you, other babes dey..."

Dem wan comfort me, but e still pain me small.

Na true, but sometimes heart no dey reason like head. My own dey bite me for chest, I no fit talk.

So Morayo no just cold—na only me she dey cold to.

I quietly climb bed, use blanket cover head.

Make I just hide, because as e be so, if person see my face, dem go know say I dey feel somehow.

I wan play game, but body just cold like person pour water for my skin.

Next afternoon, department get activity with Morayo.

I no fit look her side at all, just dey look ground.

But Morayo dey look my side steady.

She dey do like say she wan talk, but no words dey come out. My mind just dey fly up and down.

Wetin be this? Pity eyes?

Her bestie Zainab just dey talk for her side.

"See my baby, iron tree don grow flower!"

"Even save am as 'my good pikin.'"

"If e work, you go tell me first o!"

...

She talk so tey, I no even know how Auwalu take fall for her.

After department activity, I message Grandma: "Your good pikin don break heart, I wan cry."

I add small crying emoji join, make she know say e dey pain me.

Grandma reply: "Oh? Apart from me, you get another pikin?"

I dey laugh small for inside, but the pain still dey my chest. Grandma sabi run cruise sha.

Grandma don dey old, just dey talk anything?

I dey wonder if she dey reason me true true, or she just dey use play cover the matter.

"That pikin no be this pikin. E different."

I try explain, but the thing no too enter.

After I send that one, I no reply again.

God, abeg, why my own always different? Even Morayo dey use me do strong head.

I no talk to Grandma for three days straight.

I dey try form hard guy, but my heart dey heavy. Even Auwalu notice say I quiet, him talk say maybe na assignment dey stress me. Na so heartbreak dey show for face.

E be like say generation gap dey; she no understand how heartbroken boy dey feel.

For our side, you suppose show boy love, give am correct advice, no be all this "Oh?" wey she dey reply.

Till end of month, Grandma still never send my pocket money.

I begin panic.

Omo, I dey check alert every hour. No show. Even my stomach dey turn me, na only beans and garri dey my table.

Grandma promise every month she go dey give me extra ten thousand pocket money, on top my parents own.

I dey count the days—she never miss before o.

I send her small shark sticker, the one dey hold bowl, dey beg for food.

I dey hope say she go see the sticker, laugh, and transfer money. Na our style be that.

"No money to chop?"

True true, I never even finish the hundred thousand Grandma give me for sweatshirt.

I dey try form broke, but she sabi say my balance still get small weight. But pride no dey let me talk true.

But she talk say that one no be pocket money.

She get rules—if she give you for clothes, no touch am for food.

I send another sticker, this one with broken bowl.

I dey dramatize am, as if na Nollywood actor I be.

"Plain rice, serve am, Mama."

Grandma no talk, just transfer one hundred thousand.

I almost faint. This one pass my expectation. She dey always surprise me with her own level.

My hand dey shake—I no even wan collect am.

Conscience dey bite me small. But who I be to reject blessing?

"Abi our family win lottery?"

I dey use joke cover shame. I no wan look greedy.

"No, you dey heartbroken, go buy better food chop."

She sabi my mind, e be like say she dey read my thoughts from her side.

"Sorry for how I behave before."

I dey smile like mumu. This na Grandma I sabi.

"No wahala, nothing like formality between us."

I dey try tell her say make she no dey reason am. Family na family.

Na so e suppose be between grandma and pikin.

The bond strong pass super glue. If wahala come, na her dey first defend me.

I quickly accept the money, order suya, pepper soup, and jollof rice—make my body forget say heart dey pain.

Even though heart still dey pain me, the pepper and enjoyment make me forget everything.

For Naija, correct food dey heal broken heart pass paracetamol.

One week later, my roommate forward post from university confession page.

Na candid photo of Morayo dey play badminton for field.

She tie black ponytail, wear tennis outfit, look fresh and fine—person no fit remove eye.

One guy post the photo: "I wan know this babe, abeg, she get boyfriend?"

Morayo reply for comment: "I get person wey I like, but I never catch am."

Her reply get over hundred comments.

Everybody for group begin drop hot takes—some dey form helper, others dey do like FBI.

"Even our department fine girl never fit catch her crush. Na wa o."

"As e be, na people wey no dey chase goddess, goddess dey like."

Na so Naija boys dey reason, dey analyze like say dem dey do WAEC revision.

"I bet say na because she always dey chased, so when person no send her, na there she dey interested."

...

My heart just skip. I poke Auwalu wey dey beside me.

"Your babe sabi who be Morayo crush?"

Auwalu dey chop chin chin, but he pause, look me serious.

"She no sure, but she talk say last week, Morayo transfer hundred thousand to the guy, just to console am as e break heart."

Wetin be this—

My mind dey fly. That kind money no be small play.

Auwalu look me, face squeeze. "I even dey pity Morayo small."

Even me no expect say person like Morayo go fit get mind like that.

I look her photo again, swipe to next screen.

I dey reason say maybe I miss something all this while. The world dey turn small small.